On this 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, our Gospel reading takes us back to the fascinating beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. After being baptized in the river Jordan by his kinsman John the Baptist, Jesus had gone out into the desert to fast and to do battle with the powers of darkness. There Our Lord resisted the temptations of the devil Himself.
The very first detail St. Matthew narrates, after Jesus emerges from 40 days of spiritual desert warfare, is that Jesus hears of John the Baptist’s arrest. It’s about 10 chapters later that Matthew explains why John was arrested. But we know why: to silence Him! John had preached against the corruption and immorality of his local government rulers, King Herod and his wife Herodias, and he was arrested to silence Him. For preaching the word of God, John was arrested and imprisoned and ultimately martyred.
Well, upon hearing of John’s arrest, what does Jesus do? Where does he go? He goes to Galilee. Now, this is not some random destination. John was arrested by Herod, and Jesus goes directly to the territory ruled over by Herod. Jesus walks right into the darkness, right into the land where God’s Word had begun to be stifled. Jesus goes to the heart of darkness, if you will, to bring the light of God’s kingdom.
Matthew explains Jesus’ going to Galilee to begin his ministry was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah from our first reading: a people in darkness seeing a great light. Jesus chooses this place of darkness to begin building his Church—a turning point in history.
Matthew compares Jesus’ venture to Capernaum, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, to a time in Israel’s past, when the tribes of Zebulun and Napthali occupied that same shore. Eight centuries earlier, the tribes were overrun by Israel’s enemies, the Assyrians. The invading Assyrians caused great disruption and devastation to God’s people, ultimately exiling 10 of the 12 tribes.
So Matthew evokes this painful memory of darkness and death to explain Israel’s condition under Herod and the Roman Empire, but then he continues the prophecy; he speaks the light shining in the darkness. The light would begin to shine first in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali; the place where the first tribes were carried off, would be the place which would first experience the dawning of the light of God. And so Matthew, alluding to this Old Testament prophecy was saying that Jesus’ coming to Capernaum was just that…the beginning of something new, a new era, a new age for the kingdom of God, when the a new light was beginning to shine after a period of darkness. Jesus calling of the new 12 is a reconstitution of Israel, the 12 tribes that had been dispersed and lost and overshadowed by death.
Jesus is the light for those overshadowed by darkness in every age. For the early Church ravaged by the hateful persecutions of Emperors like Nero, Diocletian, Decius, he was the light, granting courage and the promise of eternal life for those who suffered. And in our own day, Jesus is the light to a people overshadowed by the perverse values of the culture of death, by a growing shadow of anti-religious sentiment, and secularism.
When we are filled with the light of Christ, the darkness of our earthly temptations and sufferings are dispelled, and even in a dark age, we can know blessings of peace and joy and healing and fulfilment—“abundant joy and great rejoicing” as Isaiah says.
How can we better experience these blessings God wishes to give us through Christ? How can more completely be filled with the light of Christ? First and foremost, we have to open the dark places in our hearts to the light of Christ. As St. John Paul II said, we need to throw open the doors of our hearts to Christ.
And this is rarely easy or comfortable. Turning our eyes to the light after a long period of being accustomed to darkness usually stings a little bit. Who here likes to look deep down in one’s heart and admit that there is some selfishness that lives there, there’s impatience, and laziness, and lust. There’s arrogance in dealing with family members, there’s egotism.
Self-examination is like going to the dentist. We don’t like it when the dentist begins to drill deeply beneath the surface, but he does so, even risking striking a nerve from time to time, in order to root out the cavity, to root out the corruption.
So too in the spiritual life, digging deep, rooting out corruption, examining one’s motives, one’s attitudes. The saints recommend the daily examination of one’s conscience. Before retiring to bed, to replay our day, our conversations, our interactions, our decisions; to admit our failings, to thank God for our blessings, to consider what we should have done differently, and to ask God’s mercy for our sins.
This daily accountability to God is a powerful aid for spiritual growth. It exposes the dark places to the light so healing and transformation can occur. God heals from the inside-out.
On the other hand, as Christians we aren’t just a bunch of navel-gazers. We allow the light of Christ to shine through our deeds by becoming as St. James says, not just hearers of the word but doers of the word. Concrete acts of service and charity, getting involved with volunteer work, these activities have a transforming effect. There are tons of volunteer opportunities in Cleveland, the food banks, the homeless shelters.
The Knights of Columbus, the parish council, the choir, St. Vincent de Paul, social justice committee, Cleveland Right to Life, these groups can be great opportunities for spiritual growth, to be exposed to and to shine with the light of Christ.
This year, 2017, try something new. A new way of praying, a new way of serving.
Again, “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ,” St. John Paul said. Do not be afraid to allow the light of Christ to dispel the darkness in your families and in your hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
